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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25881721">I need you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingformadderton/pseuds/writingformadderton'>writingformadderton</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rocketman (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arguments, Crying, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Guilt, M/M, Moving Out</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:56:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25881721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingformadderton/pseuds/writingformadderton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard and Taron are having a rough time and both of them start fighting because of the tiniest reasons. One day Richard has enough and decides to take a break, moving out for a while. But this break that’s supposed to help them, only makes it worse for both them, until an old friend decides to help…</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>David Furnish/Elton John, Taron Egerton/Richard Madden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I need you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taron walks around at home nervously, looking around making sure everything’s clean. He and Richard got into fights easily at the moment over the most unnecessary things. T was so sick of it and he recognized how it frayed Richard’s nerves. Rich was working a lot at the moment and Taron had to prepare for his role in a few months but had some time off. He tried his best to help Richard with the stress but somehow they just don’t get along as well as they used to.</p>
<p>Richard parks his car in front of the house and sinks his head on the steering wheel taking a deep breath. He doesn’t want to get in a fight with Taron today, not again. He just wants to spend a beautiful afternoon with the love of his life. Rich doesn’t know why but it wasn’t as easy as before and they got on each other’s nerves so easily.<br/>He opens the door and steps in seeing the mopped floor he frowns. “Taron?” His boyfriend comes down the stairs with his phone and script in hand. “Are we expecting someone?” he asks confused. ‘Please say no’.</p>
<p>“No?” Taron asks confused and places his stuff aside.</p>
<p>Richard kisses him and T wraps his arms around his neck. “You cleaned the floors, that’s why I was wondering.”</p>
<p>Taron pulls back immediately and frowns. “Are you trying to tell me that I only clean when we’re expecting guests?” he tries to hide his annoyance. T cleaned the whole house and that’s the comment he got!</p>
<p>“What? No. I-.” Richard groans a bit. Here they go again. “I didn’t mean it that way, I’m sorry.” he tries to apologize and wants to hit his head against the wall. Why the hell did he ask?</p>
<p>“Mm.” T just hums and let’s go of him to grab his stuff. “If you want to know why I thought it would be a nice surprise since you’re clearly working your ass off on set.”</p>
<p>“T, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-.”</p>
<p>“Food is in the fridge.” Taron just says and smiles shortly at him before walking into the living room trying to hide how much this comment stung him.</p>
<p>Richard sighs and walks into the kitchen. He isn’t hungry after hurting Taron and leans against the kitchen countertop. Burying his face in his hands he tries to sort his thoughts and blinks his tears away. “Not again,” he whispers to himself and tries to calm himself down.</p>
<p>Taron sits on the sofa and shakes his head slightly. Was he overreacting or misinterpreting his words? But it did sound that way… and it felt horrible. T blinks his tears away and takes a deep breath, calm down. Suddenly he feels Richard wrapping his arms around him from behind and burying his face in his shoulder. “You alright?”</p>
<p>Richard just shakes his head and tightens his embrace around him. He isn’t alright and he knows it’s his own fault. The Scotsman feels the tears coming back into his eyes and let’s go of Taron quickly not wanting him to see. “I’m gonna go shower.” he presses out with tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. His voice is beginning to wobble and shake barely audible.</p>
<p>But Taron hears it, biting his lower lip trying to hold back his own tears. “Okay,” he says flatly and looks down at his knees listening to Richard leaving the room. As soon as he’s alone he lets the tears fall down and looks up at the ceiling frustrated. This little fight today was no reason to cry for both of them, but it happened constantly and it just got to be too much. “Ah fuck it,” Taron says and gets up rushing up the stairs quickly. He opens the door to their bedroom in a rush making Richard flinch surprised.</p>
<p>Richard turns around and sees the tears streaming down Taron’s cheeks. He throws his clothes aside and sits down on their bed heavily. “I didn’t mean to hurt you with that, Taron. I had a long day and I just hoped I hadn’t forgotten that someone was coming to visit,” he explains and runs his fingers through his hair.</p>
<p>“I know.” Taron huffs and sees new tears making their way down on his boyfriend’s face. He walks over to him and stops right at the edge of the bed. Richard sinks against him and buries his face in his chest while wrapping his arms around him. Taron rests his chin in his soft brown curls and rubs his back soothingly.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry about the fighting.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry too,” Richard sniffles into his chest and fights against letting it all out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two days later Richard has a terrible headache due to the weather changing outside. He isn’t in a really good mood and Taron tries to keep his mouth shut, knowing it wasn’t wise to talk on these days. This afternoon Richard falls asleep at the kitchen table and Taron finds him there after a while. He rolled his eyes a bit amused seeing him like that. T gets out a glass of the kitchen cabinet and fills it with water. He places it on the table in front of Rich together with a painkiller. When he goes to get a glass for himself another one falls straight into his face. The glass shatters into pieces on the floor, and so did his glasses. “Fuck.” he curses and closes the cabinet quickly.</p>
<p>Richard jumps up, looks at Taron shocked and groans. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asks a bit ruder then he intends to.</p>
<p>Taron glares and starts collecting the fragments of glass. “Destroyed a cup.” he snaps.</p>
<p>“Clumsy as always,” he mumbles under his breath and rubs his face.</p>
<p>“What was that?” Taron asks with hands on his hips and looks up to him. He heard him clearly but he was curious if Richard would say it to his face.</p>
<p>“Nothing. Where did you leave your glasses? You would have seen what you’re doing with them on.” Richard looks down at his boyfriend who throws the glass pieces back onto the floor making them shatter again.</p>
<p>“You know what? Fuck off, seriously.” Taron spits out annoyed and gets up. He washes his hands, making sure nothing sticks to his hands. He picks up his destroyed eyeglasses, hoping he can try to find somebody to fix them. “I was wearing them while preparing you a glass and a pill. When I took a glass for myself it hit my glasses and both fell down.” He steps towards the door and looks back at him briefly, disgust written plainly on his face. “Oh and I’m fine, my face hurts and my glasses are destroyed, thanks for asking.” With that, he slams the door closed.</p>
<p>Richard just shakes his head, not in the mood for a fight today. He grabs a broom and sweeps up the rest of the glass and throws it in the bin, before swallowing the pill and drinking the water.</p>
<p>Taron grabs his keys, puts his shoes on quickly, and steps outside breathing in the fresh air. It’s September and the weather’s beginning to turn colder. He needs some time alone for now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Taron comes back that evening he turns on his phone again and sees five missed calls from Richard and a few text messages. He puts it back in his pocket and tries to conceal the pack of cigarettes, he bought to calm his nerves, in his jacket. Taron walks upstairs quietly and opens the door to their bedroom. Richard is asleep in the armchair with his phone in his hand. As soon as Taron closes the door behind him he shifts in the seat and opens his eyes.</p>
<p>Relief in his eyes quickly turns to anger. “Thank you for letting me know you’re alive,” he says sarcastically and gets up in a huff.</p>
<p>Taron snarls annoyed. “Don’t make a scene now it’s late.”</p>
<p>Rich looks at him speechless before swallowing hard. “Fine, then I’m leaving without making a scene. I need a break from all this shit.”</p>
<p>Taron stops in his movements and turns around slowly. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? You’re letting out your anger on me and when I need some fresh air for once you get mad at me?” T throws his sweater on the bed aggressively. “You’re the one that always ditches me for a walk or drive while I’m here thinking about what I did wrong. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to do that?” he’s getting mad now.</p>
<p>“I always tell you when I’m leaving! That’s the fucking difference.” Richard spits out and grabs the charger for his phone. “We’ve constantly fought these last few weeks and I can’t continue like this. I’m staying with a friend for a while.”</p>
<p>“How long?” Taron asks quietly and feels himself getting scared.</p>
<p>“I- Taron, a while.” Richard avoids his question and looks down at the floor.</p>
<p>“How? Long? Richard.” Taron asks firmly.</p>
<p>“A few weeks, don’t know yet,” Rich says plainly and looks at him with dull eyes. Taron nods slowly and shakes his head. “Listen, I know you’re mad, but it’ll be for the best.”</p>
<p>“The best for whom?” T spits out and opens the bedroom door again. “Bye then,” he says and nods towards the door signaling for Richard to leave. Richard watches him with raised eyebrows but steps outside. “That’s so typically you, leaving when it gets rough,” Taron calls after him.</p>
<p>Rich stops and bites his lower lip momentarily before looking him in the eyes, his own filled with tears. “And that’s so typical of you, making me feel bad for taking a step back when I can’t cope with something anymore.”</p>
<p>Taron swallows down his tears at that and slams the door loudly behind him. As soon as he’s sure Richard leaves the house he sinks into bed and curls up crying. “Fucking hell!” he punches his pillow and throws Richards down from the bed.</p>
<p>Richard plops down on his car seat and looks up at the ceiling taking a deep breath. “Fuck!” he shouts and punches his steering wheel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two months later Taron reached one of the lowest points in his life. He hasn’t cleaned the house properly for a while, stayed in most of the time, and was constantly wearing hoodies and sweatpants. His hair is a mess and he isn’t in a good place mentally. Seeing Richard attending the premiere of his movie, looking beautiful in his dark suit, was heart-wrenching. Rich made up a reason for not having Taron right by his side, which was simply that he had too much to do for his own work.</p>
<p>When Taron read that he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Work never held him back from supporting his boyfriend, which wasn’t a secret to the public. But what disturbed Taron the most was how happy he looked. It seemed to be so easy for Richard.</p>
<p>What Taron doesn’t see is how Richard’s smile fades as soon as he’s alone. How he lets the tears roll down his cheeks while staring up at the ceiling fan, wishing he would finally stop feeling bad. The way he hides in his room caught up in work most of the time. He doesn’t see how much Richard suffers underneath the new circumstances.</p>
<p>Today was one of the hard days and Taron didn’t even leave his bed. Suddenly his phone rings and he sees it’s Elton. “Elton?”</p>
<p>“Taron, mate, how are you?” his friend asks him.</p>
<p>“Actually not really well. I-.” And then he starts crying and isn’t able to stop fast enough.</p>
<p>“You’re coming over in an hour, you hear me? No excuses!” Elton says firmly and Taron gratefully agrees.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>An hour later he finds himself on the sofa next to his older friend. He’s wearing jeans and a shirt and managed to fix his hair after a shower. Taron tells him how much he misses Richard and how much he needs him back. He tells him about all their useless fights and that he wants to apologize.</p>
<p>“How is Richard coping with this?”</p>
<p>“Seems easy to him,” T says and just takes a swig of his beer.</p>
<p>“Hm, what if I’m telling you that Richard reached a very low point about a week ago when I called him to chat a bit?” Elton asks and watches Taron’s reaction closely. </p>
<p>T shrugs his shoulders. “Happens to the best.”</p>
<p>“And how about him calling me every day since then so we can talk for a bit and I can get his mind off it?”</p>
<p>“Don’t mess with me.” Taron whimpers a bit pitifully and takes another gulp. Suddenly Elton’s phone rings and looking down he recognizes Richard’s number.</p>
<p>Elton takes the call and puts it on the speaker. “Richard, how are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Eh, I’m alright, I guess,” Richard says.</p>
<p>Taron freezes on the sofa hearing his tired voice. Richard sounds overworked and like he’d cried for a while. Damn, Elton was right.</p>
<p>“Did you text Taron yet like you wanted to?”</p>
<p>“No, I-I don’t know how to start. I mean I left and I don’t wanna come and crawl back to him, you know? He’ll think I’m pathetic.” Richard sits down on his bed and stares down at the floor. “Did-Did you hear anything of him?”</p>
<p>“Let’s say he’s fighting just like you,” Elton says and watches Taron who is listening closely. “You don’t know how to start you say… Well, what would you tell him?”</p>
<p>“That I’m so sorry for loading the stress I had from work and fighting on him. And for being such an asshole sometimes.” Richard swallows and thinks for a moment. “Probably that I miss him because I really do. I miss us, you know? I always felt better with him by my side.”</p>
<p>Taron tucks his legs up and leans forward on the sofa a bit. </p>
<p>“And that I love him and I’m not ready to give up on us.” he takes a deep breath and feels the tears in his eyes burning again. “I would tell him he’s right about me running away when things get tough and that I’m beyond sorry about it.” his voice cracks and Taron shivers at that sound. “Because it really is fucking pathetic.” Taron shakes his head and presses his hand in front of his mouth when Richard starts to cry. Richard breathes in shaking and bites back a sob. A strangled sound that doesn’t go unnoticed by Taron and only makes the tears fall down his cheeks faster. “I don’t know what to do anymore, mate.”</p>
<p>“Richard, I think you just made a very important step,” Elton assures him and looks at Taron who’s crying silently now.</p>
<p>“What d-do you mean?” Rich asks in a thin voice and sniffs.</p>
<p>“Well, Taron what would you say if you got that message?” he asks and looks at the younger man next to him on the couch.</p>
<p>Taron swallows hard. “I would say I’ve been a bastard too and I overreacted.” he hiccups.</p>
<p>“Oh my fucking god you didn’t.” Rich gasps and rubs a tired hand down his five o'clock shadow.</p>
<p>“And that I miss us too. I would tell him how much I love him and how much I need him back by my side.” Taron presses out and his voice is soft and shaking. “And that it’s not dumb to step away when things get too rough,” he says and buries his face in his hand. All he can hear is Richard crying on the other line.</p>
<p>Elton takes over the situation. “I think you two should meet up. Richard, can you come over?”</p>
<p>Richard steadies his breath. “Yeah. If Taron wants me to.” he waits anxiously for Taron’s response.</p>
<p>“I need you, Richie.” is all he needs to hear to get up and get his car keys.</p>
<p>Taron sinks into Elton’s arms and relaxes comforted in the arms of his older friend. “Thank you,” he whispers.</p>
<p>Elton laughs softly and strokes over his head. “For you two, always.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a while, the doorbell rings and Taron wipes his cheeks clean. He sits up and waits anxiously as Elton walks into the hallway greeting Richard. Taron can hear the familiar Scottish accent and feels better immediately. David looks at Elton surprised as he steps in and sees Taron with red eyes.</p>
<p>“Reunion?” he asks and his husband just nods with a smile.</p>
<p>Richard steps in and sees Taron standing there, looking a bit lost. He presses his lips together and feels the tears coming back all over again as he walks over to him. Taron feels new tears rolling down his cheeks and walks over to Richard quickly. His boyfriend opens his arms and Taron falls into his embrace starting to sob.<br/>Richard wraps his arms around him tightly and buries his face in his shoulder just as Taron does in his. He just wails into his shirt and suddenly the rest of the world doesn’t matter anymore.</p>
<p>Taron feels all the shitty regret and guilt slowly falling off him, being here in Richard’s arms. Breathing in the scent of his cologne and feeling his body close against his again. </p>
<p>Rich steps back a bit and looks up at the lights taking in a deep shuddering breath. He strokes over Taron’s fluffy hair and presses a kiss into it. “I am so sorry, bubs.” he presses out and holds him closer.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry too, love.” Taron chokes out and looks up at him.</p>
<p>Richard’s eyes wander over Taron’s face. His eyes are red and puffy, he’s sniffing and his lips are trembling. “Oh god I should have never left, I’m such an idiot. Should this ever happen again, please punch me.”</p>
<p>Taron looks into the bright teary blue eyes in front of him and sees the tear stains on his cheeks. “I would never punch you.” he giggles softly.</p>
<p>Richard cups his face and kisses him short but lovingly before pulling him close again. His fingers run across Taron’s jaw and he takes in his sweet scent calming down. “I promise I won’t be mean again.”</p>
<p>“I promise I’ll try not to overreact again,” T says and hugs him tightly.</p>
<p>Richard cups his face again and wipes his cheeks clean with his thumbs. “I missed you.” Taron just leans forward and kisses him softly showing him he misses him too. Elton and David sat down on the sofa in the meantime and watch the newfound love between their friends happily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Three days later Richard comes back home from set late in the evening. Taron waits for him with some food, candles, and some wine. Richard steps in and a soft smile falls onto his lips. “Hey, baby,” he says and leans down to kiss him.</p>
<p>“Hey.” T breathes out and pulls him into the kiss.</p>
<p>Rich grabs his hand and strokes over his knuckles. “I have something for you,” he says and lays a small long box onto the table.</p>
<p>Taron raises his eyebrows and opens the box curiously. Inside there’s a new pair of glasses and a little note. T takes out the note and sees it’s Richard’s handwriting.<br/>'Since your old ones got destroyed when you wanted to help me, I decided to help you out with picking a new pair.’</p>
<p>“Aw love, this wasn’t necessary.”</p>
<p>“Yes, it was. They should have the right prescription.” Richard says smiling. “I hope you like them.”</p>
<p>“I love them,” Taron says, takes them out, and puts them on.</p>
<p>Richard’s smile gets soft seeing his blueish-green eyes getting brighter behind the glass. “They suit you perfectly.” as soon as he says so he sees Taron blushing. He gets up and leans over the table to kiss him, needy for his touch.</p>
<p>“Let’s eat and then cuddle in bed,” Taron suggests and Richard nods happily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Richard sits down on their bed and waits for Taron who is getting ready in the bathroom. His boyfriend kneels down behind him and starts massaging his back languidly. “I missed this,” Rich admits and moans softly.</p>
<p>Taron just giggles, he knows Richard needs this after a long day of filming. He plants a gentle peck on his cheek and wraps his arms around him from behind. “I missed you, Rich.”</p>
<p>“I’m here now, love,” Richard says and reaches back to fondle over his buzz cut. They lie down and Rich wraps his arms around Taron’s waist pulling him close. He presses a smooch on the back of his neck before nestling his face there. “I love you, bubs.”</p>
<p>“I love you too, angel eyes,” Taron says with a soft smile and tangles his hand with Richards in front of his belly. He snuggles into Richard and enjoys having his boyfriend pressed against the back of his body.</p>
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